Marital Divide in Post‑2020 Happiness

A sharp, persistent post‑2020 decline in self‑reported happiness left a growing gap where married adults remain, on balance, generally happy while unmarried adults are disproportionately unhappy. The shock affected many previously happiest subgroups (high income, well‑educated, white, right‑leaning) and coincided with declines in social trust and institutional confidence. — If marriage now functions as a stronger buffer against a broad societal happiness collapse, policy and politics must reckon with rising social segregation, mental‑health demand, and how civic institutions rebuild trust.